Podcast ads can sell mattresses and meal delivery kits sight unseen, but what about a product that costs tens of thousands of dollars? Audacy is releasing the results of a case study it conducted with Lexus to measure how well podcast ads perform. The results suggest other carmakers should follow Lexus’ lead.
The study began with the creation of a series of host-read ads, each tailored to the specific podcast. They were then placed across a variety of shows, which Audacy explains allowed it to reach potential buyers in an environment where they were already highly engaged. “Regardless of the podcast they’re tuned into, Lexus’s message was delivered with authenticity and relevance,” it says. Then Audacy teamed up with Nielsen to conduct extensive testing and surveys to understand the impact of the ads on brand perception. It says the aim wasn’t just to measure the reach of the ad, but to make sure the message was landing in a meaningful way.
The results were “a win for Lexus,” says Audacy, which says the carmaker saw “impressive results” from its podcast campaign. In fact, Audacy says the campaign didn’t just meet expectations; it exceeded them. Lexus’s podcast ads outperformed Nielsen benchmarks, delivering high scores across all brand metrics.
That included a 14-point lift in brand familiarity as listeners who were exposed to the podcast ads were significantly more familiar with Lexus’s EV models and more likely to associate the brand with trust and luxury. There was also a 31-point lift in brand favorability among women aged 35 to 54. Audacy says that demographic responded particularly well to the campaign, with many agreeing that Lexus’s electric vehicles felt truly luxurious.
“With such an engaged audience tuning in, podcast ads excel at boosting upper funnel metrics like recall and awareness, which drive conversions and sales,” said Arica McKinnon, VP Commercial Strategy & Insights at Nielsen. “By advertising on Audacy’s platform, Lexus’s EV campaign yielded significant lifts across all tested brand metrics and attributes, particularly in familiarity and favorability, effectively nurturing consumers along the path to purchase.”
Audacy says podcast ads were not only to meet Lexus’ objective of elevating brand perception for their new electric vehicle (EV) lineup, but it also was able to boost top-of-funnel metrics that are key to converting interest into sales. It was also able to do that with the “personalized touch” that high-consideration purchases like luxury cars require.
“The Lexus success story highlights several important lessons for any brand considering podcast advertising,” it says in a blog post. “Tailoring your message to the audience and the platform is crucial. Host reads are particularly effective because they feel authentic and relatable,” it concludes. It also says consistent measurement with Nielsen throughout the campaign allowed them to optimize performance and ensure the ads were driving the desired results.
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